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Furious Gov Otti reacts to reported missing N54bn from Abia treasury

Otti clarified that the cited figures were mere budgetary provisions and not evidence of cash expenditure, insisting that his administration is operating a transparent financial system. Abia State Governor Alex Otti has furiously reacted to viral claims that N54 billion has gone missing from the state treasury, dismissing the allegations as baseless and a reflection of ignorance about government budgeting and spending processes.

Recall that last week, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the Abia’s Best Interest Association had accused Otti of running the state’s affairs in an opaque manner, labelling him a political liability. The group’s convener, Eze Chikamnayo, challenged the governor to account for the N54 billion budget for public school renovation in the 2024 fiscal year.

According to Chikamnayo, despite the huge budgetary allocations for renovations, a visit to several local government areas in the state showed that public school infrastructures are in a deplorable state.

However, reacting during a media chat on Friday, Otti clarified that the bandied figures were mere budgetary provisions and not evidence of cash expenditure.

He stressed that his administration had only spent N2.1bn out of the budgeted sums for school renovations.

He maintained that his administration has operated a transparent financial system, challenging his critics to “understand numbers before speaking.”

“Even the issue of N54bn, the original person who talked about it found out shortly after he spoke that he made a mistake and he decided to walk back his mistakes.

“There’s something called State Transparency, World Bank State SFEAN. It is a programme by the World Bank that requires states to publish their budget performance. What is a budget? Budget is an estimate. At the end of the day, what is important is what cash is spent,” the Governor noted.

Otti further explained that the state’s audited financial accounts for 2024, which clearly show how much was disbursed, had already been made public.

Additionally, he noted his administration had adopted pet measures in place to prevent diversion of funds, particularly through advance payment guarantees for contractors.

“If you check that website, you will see a figure of N2.1bn. That’s what has been spent

What this government does is that before we hand over money to you, we must collect an advance benefit guarantee. So that in the unlikely event you decide to face your village after collecting money, we rely on the guarantee.

“So, at any point in time, if you are working for us, your money will be in our hands and not the other way around,” he stated.
The Governor concluded that the allegation of missing billions was politically concocted by individuals he described as mischief makers with no credibility.

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I was sacked as APC national chairman via zoom – Adams Oshiomhole

Adams Oshiomhole has revealed that he was removed as APC national chairman through a Zoom-held NEC meeting, claiming court actions and internal party politics were used to force him out after leading the party to electoral victories.

Speaking during an interview on AIT, the senator representing Edo North said his exit from the party’s top position came after he had helped stabilize the APC and contributed significantly to the party’s electoral successes.

Oshiomhole, who served as APC national chairman from 2018 until his removal in June 2020, said he played a major role in helping the party secure victory in the 2019 general elections under then-President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I led my party to victory under Buhari. With my colleague in the National Working Committee, NWC, we were able to fix the leadership tussle of the National Assembly, both the Senate and the House Representatives effortlessly,” he said.

“Our president didn’t have to run around the country to talk to people. We did the marketing, explanation, persuasion and all the tools available to manage democracy.”

The former Edo State governor said events took a different turn after the party became more stable, alleging that efforts were made to remove him from office.

“Once the system got stabilized, I was sacked through a Zoom, and when people couldn’t get me removed democratically, they claimed that eight members of my Ward signed a petition that they passed a vote of no confidence on me.

“And on that basis they took the matter to the court, which granted their interim order. I appealed the order. The Court of Appeal quashed it. Three weeks later, the Court of Appeal called us back and restated the order. A few days later, I saw for the first time a National Executive Council, NEC, held by Zoom in the villa,” he said.

Oshiomhole’s removal as APC chairman followed a prolonged internal crisis within the ruling party. At the time, the party’s National Executive Committee dissolved the National Working Committee and approved the formation of a Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee to oversee party affairs.

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Court orders INEC to deregister ADC, four other political parties

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties over their poor electoral performance.

The affected parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and the ADC.

The ruling followed a suit filed by a group of former lawmakers who asked the court to determine whether INEC is constitutionally obligated to remove political parties that fail to meet the requirements outlined in Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

According to the plaintiffs, the five parties failed to satisfy the constitutional conditions required to retain their registration. These include securing at least 25 per cent of votes in a state during a presidential election, winning a seat in the National Assembly, a state House of Assembly, a local government chairmanship position, or a councillorship seat.

The group argued that the parties failed to meet these benchmarks during the 2023 general election and in subsequent by-elections conducted by INEC.

They further contended that allowing political parties with little or no electoral support to remain on the register undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system and goes against constitutional provisions.

The plaintiffs urged the court to compel INEC to deregister the parties before preparations for the 2027 general election gather pace.

They also sought an order restraining the affected parties from taking part in elections, conducting party primaries, organising political rallies, or carrying out other political activities pending compliance with constitutional requirements.

Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu agreed with the arguments presented by the plaintiffs and ordered INEC to deregister the five political parties.

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Protest erupts in Ibadan over abducted Oyo pupils, teachers as NUT begins indefinite strike

Protests have erupted in Ibadan over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, as the NUT begins an indefinite strike and President Tinubu orders fresh security measures, including the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards.

Fresh protests broke out in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday as concerned residents, education stakeholders and activists demanded the immediate rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

The demonstration comes days after teachers in Ogbomoso staged a similar protest over the kidnapping incident, which claimed the life of one teacher and left dozens of pupils and education workers in captivity.

The protesters marched through major parts of Ibadan carrying placards with messages such as, “Every Life Matters, Stop the Kidnappers,” “47 Abducted, Scared and Alone,” and “Stand Up! Speak Out!”

The kidnapping, which occurred on May 15, 2026, involved pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area.

The incident has continued to spark outrage across Oyo State, with parents, teachers and community leaders expressing concerns over the safety of schools and the prolonged captivity of the victims.

Amid growing frustration over the slow progress in securing the victims’ release, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has directed all public primary and secondary school teachers in Oyo State to withdraw their services indefinitely from Monday, June 1, 2026.

The union said the action became necessary because the fate of the abducted teachers and pupils remains uncertain weeks after the incident.

According to the NUT, the continued captivity of the victims has created fear among teachers, discouraged parents from sending their children to school and heightened anxiety in affected communities.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the union, Comrade Hassan Fatai, the NUT said the industrial action is “aimed at drawing the attention of government authorities to the urgent need to intensify efforts toward securing the safe release of the abductees without further delay.”